


clôture: sweet sixteen

by recoilshipping



Series: clôture and a wiegenlied (Aku no Monogatari AU) [7]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 21:47:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21985933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/recoilshipping/pseuds/recoilshipping
Summary: on the continent of Bolganio, they say that twins born on the 27th of December are infinitely blessed, that surely it is a sign of good luck. for that is the day the Twins of God were born....I wonder how true that rings.
Series: clôture and a wiegenlied (Aku no Monogatari AU) [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1494158
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. .

Discontent hangs like a cloud over Lucifenia. 

You can hear it from the executioner, lamenting the loss of innocent lives. 

You can hear it among the nobles and politicians, exhausted from currying favor in order to keep their heads.

You can hear it in the towns and the cities, the rumbles of empty stomachs.

But you'd never guess it if you saw the Son of Evil. 

There was never a wider smile than that of the prince on his throne.

His command resounds far and wide:

"Now, bow to me!"


	2. Section 1 - Echo -

_Echo ~Lucifenian Palace, Heavenly Yard~_

"Oh, it's snack time." The phrase falls from my mouth out of habit, as I hear the bells ring three times.

The bells of Nasch's Cathedral can be heard anywhere in the city. The palace is no exception. 

Leaning on his broom handle, Flame sighs. I guess he's tired too. He and I, as well as a few other servants, have been cleaning the courtyard since this morning, and we're still nowhere near done.

We'd probably have a better chance at finishing if we had a few more hands to help, but the entire palace is understaffed and overworked enough as it is. It's to be expected, though.

Today is Prince Windy's birthday. Everything must be more perfect than usual.

"This is exhausting, Echo. How much longer do you think this will take?" Flame asks as he starts sweeping again.

"I don't know if we'll be done in time. We haven't even started cleaning the fountain yet. Lady Emma said that foreign dignitaries are coming, and even members of royal families. We can't afford to miss a spot."

"But the ball is going to be held at night. Will they even be able to see the dirt?"

"I don't want to risk it."

"Alright."

Flame sweeps with more fervor. His hardworking personality is a good trait to have anywhere, but especially here. Even more than that, Prince Windy found him amicable, which gave him better odds of surviving than most of the palace staff. 

Being liked by the Prince is a feat in itself. Working here is a serious risk to your well-being, as your survival depends on his opinion of you. It's not uncommon for anyone who displeases him to be immediately sentenced to death. 

Last month Prince Windy sent 17 people to the guillotine. The month before that, 18. As for what they did, it ranged from things like coughing in the same room as him to engaging in rude gossip about him to a minister who was bold enough to try and question his policies. 

"By the way, Echo. Weren't you supposed to bring Prince Windy his afternoon snacks at 3:00?" Flame looks at me with a worried expression in his eyes. "Why are you still out here?"

"Miyu is doing it in my place today." I explain.

Miyu has been working at the palace longer than me and Flame. Though we're all palace staff, we're specifically meant to serve Prince Windy. And of the three of us, Miyu is the best at reading Prince Windy's moods and avoiding his wrath. She does her job flawlessly and she never complains.

As expected of the Head Maid's daughter. 

"Hey, how are you kids holding up?" A distant shout is heard from across the courtyard. 

We look for the source of the voice and see a man donning red armor at the gate of the courtyard. He walks over to the fountain and runs his hand through the water, and notes the bits of algae that cling to his gauntlet.

"Servant work sure is brutal, wouldn't you say, Echo?"

"Compared to being the Captain of the Royal Guard, this is easy, Sir Go."

"You know, there's no nobles around right now. It's okay to call me 'Father' like you used to."

"Force of habit. Sorry, Father." I admit sheepishly. He adopted me years ago, yet it's still a little jarring to claim familial ties with one of Lucifenia's 'Three Heroes.'

Go waves it off. "Don't worry about it, kiddo. You've been working here for a year. The stress is bound to get to you."

"I can manage. How has Jin been doing lately?"

"He's been well. Still asking when you can come home to visit."

"Oh..." Asking for something like a day off is extraordinarily difficult when you're expected to be at the Prince's every beck and call.

"Captain Go, why are you here today?" Flame slips into the conversation, having been listening as he swept. 

"I'm on guard duty tonight. It's my job to make sure this ball and all its guests are safe."

"You mean you're not going to party it up?" Flame is shocked.

"I couldn't do it in good faith." Go sighs. "Harvests have been miserable these past few years. Brawls and theft occur on the daily because of all the poverty." 

"And here we are prepping for a birthday extravaganza." Flame says bitterly. "I wish the other fancy pants aristocrats had some sense in them too."

"Is that why Prince Windy's temperament has been so sour lately, because there's so much unrest?" I ask. 

Go exhales loudly. "The Prince doesn't care about that. He doesn't even understand that there is a food shortage. He sees that the palace warehouses are full to the bursting with food, and assumes the same of everyone else."

"If the palace has so much, surely some of it can be distributed to to help alleviate some of the more extreme famine, right?" Flame reasons. "We'd never miss it here, and it could mean a world of difference somewhere else."

Go crosses his arms and shakes his head. "Prince Windy and Prime Minister Bohman refuse every time I suggest that." 

It's not an uncommon scene to see Go in argument with Windy. Despite Go's somewhat flashy and glory-seeking personality, his concern for the citizens was genuine. Compared to Windy, hedonistic and self-absorbed, who couldn't give a shit about anything that didn't happen outside of this careful constructed garden that is the Lucifenian Palace.

"Prince Windy is 15 years old, 16 today actually. Far too young to be running the whole country by himself, but you'd think he'd try to understand more than just his immediate surroundings."

Until the Prince was of age, the bulk of administrative duties was supposed to be done by people who'd fulfilled similar roles under the reigns of the previous monarchs. The retainers, ministers, etc.... But Prime Minister Bohman wasn't fit for his job, and only had it via some high connections. The rest weren't much better off, either being sent to the guillotine for dissenting or scared spineless under the threat of it. 

"Anyway, I passed by the stables on the way here. Did Prince Windy head out somewhere?" Go changes the subject before any of us say anything too rash.

"He didn't mention anything. And he wouldn't want to be away for too long on the day of his birthday party."

I have a bad feeling about this.

"You've got a point, but Wind Pegasus wasn't in the stables."

That's the name of Windy's favorite horse.

"Could someone have stolen Wind Pegasus?" Flame suggests.

"Negative. There's no way someone could've trespassed today, not with all the extra security details." Go replies.

"But maybe by looking out for trespassers, we've allowed an escapee."

Go's expression clouds over. "Don't talk like that, son..."

A shout was heard from inside the palace.

"Prince Windy! Where are you!? Prince Windy?"

That sounds a lot like Miyu.

Quickly glancing at each other, Flame, Go, and I all rush back inside. We found Miyu in the Hall of Mirrors, looking frantic and out of breath.

"Miyu, what's the matter?" I ask.

"Oh, Echo, what are we going to do?" she cries, "Prince Windy is missing." 

* * *

_Echo ~Lucifenia, Forest of Bewilderment~_

The north of Lucifenia is covered in dense woodlands. It's called the Forest of Bewilderment until you reach the border of neighboring Elphegort, at which point it becomes the Millennium Tree Forest. Traveling through here carelessly is a dangerous act. Many who've tried never come back out again. 

That's probably why King Judai never invaded Elphegort, despite the latter's military being practically non-existent while Lucifenia's army had curb-stomped those of the Beelzenian Empire and Asmodean. 

And in this dark and gloomy wood is where a search team consisting of members of the royal guard as well as some servants were looking for the prince. 

It had been easy enough to conclude that the prince had come this way by following Wind Pegasus's hoof prints from the stables to the edge of the woods. Distinguishing those tracks from the ones left by forest creatures once in the woods was on a completely different level. Even Go's tracking skills were given a run for their money, and he had years of experience on the rest of us. 

The Vice-Commander of the Royal Guard rebukes the soldier who'd been on stable duty.

"What the fuck were you thinking, look at the mess you've got us in!"

"It was Prince Windy! What was I supposed to do, tell him no? I'd be guillotined!"

"You didn't even think to escort him!?"

The soldier half chokes out a sob. It was a little pitiful, but we don't have time for that. If anything bad happens to Prince Windy before we find him, who knows how many heads will roll.

Miyu might be more stressed than all of us. She went to go deliver Prince Windy's afternoon snacks to his room and seen he wasn't there. What was there, was an opening in the fireplace that led to a secret passageway. 

The secret passageway must've been a shocking discovery to the other who lived in the palace. But it wasn't news to me. Because I've used it before, a long time ago, me and a certain someone. 

"Try to stick with the group." Go reminds me.

"I've been here. I still remember the way."

"...Right."

I had been so young. Go hadn't adopted me yet. The path isn't much changed from that time. Follow the road from the palace to the woods, and if you listen for it, the woods will lead you to...

"Sir Go, I think I know where to look."

"Do you want us to follow?"

"No, keep searching here in case my hunch is wrong. I'll head there myself."

"...Okay. Light this signal flare if you find him."

I place the flare in my satchel and take off. 

He doesn't remember our little misadventure. But still, just maybe...

* * *

_Echo ~Lucifenia, Anonymous Coast~_

The sound of waves washing against the shore tells me I'm almost there. The light of the setting sun is almost blinding after running around under the dark shade of the forest. When my eyes readjust, I can see I've reached the coast. 

A little bit west of here is a small port town. There's also a monastery that was built and funded by donations from a wealthy merchant who lives in Elphegort, Risa Hayami. 

Following the coastline, I soon can make out the shape of a horse carrying an elaborate saddle. It's Wind Pegasus. His mane is a little ruffled from traversing the woods, but give him quick combing and he'll win first prize in every category at any horse show. Nothing less for Prince Windy's steed. 

And sitting on the sand near the horse is a boy, staring out at the water. Relief floods my body.

"Windy, ...Prince Windy."

At the sound of my voice, Windy tenses for a second as if startled. But when he turns to face me, his face is the epitome of nonchalantness.

"Well well well, if it isn't Echo."

Windy Lucifen d'Autriche. Only celebrating his sweet sixteen and already sovereign of the Kingdom of Lucifenia. 

It'd be more appropriate if his title was "King" instead of "Prince," but he had refused. "That was the title of my late mother, Judai. I will accept coronation as King when I turn 18." is what he announced to his court, and so it was that Windy ruled as "Prince."

"How is it that you knew of this place?"

Instead of answering, I tell him, "Sir Go and the Royal Guard have been looking for you. They're worried." 

Windy grimaces. "Hmph, serves him right." He stands, and grains of sand fall off his clothes. "If I hadn't been found before the ball, I could've had him beheaded. Booo."

Go Onizuka, as one of the 'Three Heroes' of Lucifenia, still held immense popular support amongst both the common populace and the aristocracy alike. Even Windy understood that trying to kill him outright wouldn't be without repercussions. Hence this roundabout scheme.

"Argh, why.... CAN'T HE JUST DIE ALREADY!?"

Losing his temper, Windy shouts and kicks up some sand before resuming a calm atmosphere.

"My plan is ruined. Thanks a lot, Echo."

",,,My apologies."  
  
It's better to apologize and move on than to try and keep arguing. 

"Nothing to do about it now. I'll go back." He brushes more sand off of himself as he approaches Wind Pegasus, and runs his fingers along his horse's mane. 

As he did, I noticed a small scratch on the back of his hand. Maybe he got scraped by a tree branch or something on his way here.

"Prince, your hand..."

"What about my hand?" he snaps.

I pull out a small jar from my satchel. "It's injured. This ointment can mend it."

"Is it the bad smelling one that Ai makes?"

"Yes, unfortunately." I say as I uncap the lid. Court sorcerer Ai makes all sorts of magical remedies that can heal maladies instantly. The downside is that they tend to have pretty foul odors. 

"...Fine, let's get it over with." He holds out his hand towards me. 

I apply a light amount of ointment to the wound.

How nostalgic. The very same thing, this very same place. We had been playing, you tripped and hurt your hand. And I told you about an old tradition... You don't remember any of this, do you?

"It's done." I let go of his hand.

Windy watches as his skin repairs itself. "...Satisfactory. Well, let's go." He mounts his horse and starts at a trot back towards the forest.

"The route back through the port town is faster than going through the woods again." I hurriedly call after him.

He turns his steed around. "Haha, I was just testing you." 

"When we get there, we can use a signal flare to alert the Royal Guard. You can return to the palace with them."

"You're not coming with us?"

"Oh no, I can't ride a horse. I'll only be able to accompany you to the port town, and then I'll walk back."

A lie. 

Go had trained me in swords and horsemanship. But a mere servant isn't supposed to know these things.

"If that's the case, take hold of Wind Pegasus's bridle. He should be able to walk at pace with you."

"Yes, your Highness." I take the bridle and lead the horse.

As we walk, I look back to see Windy absently staring at the sunset.

"The sun is always alone. Just like me."

...I don't understand what he means by that, so I keep silent. 

Windy Lucifen d'Autriche.   
Prideful sovereign of Lucifenia.  
Protagonist of tonight's ball.  
And,

My elder twin brother.

* * *

_Echo ~Lucifenian Palace, Hall of Mirrors~_

The birthday ball proceeds without another incident.

The Hall of Mirrors is decorated lavishly, and full of important guests. The Queen of Elphegort. The wealthy merchant and head of her own trade guild, Risa Hayami. The Queen of Marlon, Aqua Sugisaki. The list goes on and on, and they're all here to celebrate Windy's birthday.

As for me, after a day of cleaning and searching, I just wanted to fall over and sleep. But since the search this afternoon had pushed preparations behind schedule, there was still work to be done in order to keep the party running smoothly.

Balancing two trays of hors d'oeuvres I walked among the guests, and was able to hear snippets of their conversations as they grabbed bites to munch on.

"-a splendid crowd, wouldn't you say?"

"The engagement between Prince Windy and Queen Aqua-"

"My kid wanted me to stay home for the Nativity Festival, but I couldn't turn down an invitation from the pala-"

"That was today!?! I didn't get my husband a present, oh sh-"

"What a blessed boy, his birthday and Nativity on the same day! Why, did you know that-"

"-twin dragon gods, Nasch and Merag-"

"-divine reincarnations, the 'Twins of God,' Leo and Luna-"

"Shame that Prince Amostia is no longer with us..."

...Superstitious nonsense. What luck.

The aristocrats don't spare me a second glance. Servants are little more than a part of the background, to them. But to my twin, who shares my face, they were a bunch of suck ups.

Our places in life are so different. Why, when we started the same?

My serving platters emptied, I leave the Hall of Mirrors to get more hors d'oeuvres from the kitchens.

"Tired, Echo?"

Emma had left the Hall behind me, without me noticing.

"I'll be fine, Lady Emma."

Emma Bessho, the head maid of the palace. She was one of the 'Three Heroes,' like Go. Why she had such a drastically different profession now, I didn't know. Once I had asked Go about it. He'd told me, "Sometimes women keep secrets." 

Which probably meant that he didn't know either. 

"The bags under you eyes have bags. You could rest in the servant's quarters for a bit, before coming back to clean up after the party."

"No, I can keep working. It looks worse than it is."

"Or your brooding exasperates the expression. Moping about Prince Windy, perhaps?"

"I, um, well..."

"Looks like I hit the nail on the head."

She did.

"Why is it that our lives are so different, when we have the same face? Was it something like that?"

"Can you read minds? You got it perfectly."

"Nothing of the sort. I'm not Ai...though he says he can't read minds either." 

Ai Clockworker, the Court Sorcerer. Another of the 'Three Heroes.'

"That me and the Prince look so similar isn't an issue, is it?"

"Why would it be?"

"Because...if someone else found out," and I whisper so no one can overhear, "that I didn't die, then..."

Officially, Prince Amostia Lucifen d'Autriche died around ten years ago, shortly after the passing of King Judai. A succession crisis had erupted among the ministers, and six year old me was caught in the crossfire and died. 

But that wasn't the truth. The assassination attempt failed, thwarted by Go, who had been stationed as my guard at that time. 

I had been the one to ask to move away from the palace. I didn't understand everything that was happening then, but it felt like things would be better if I wasn't around. Queen Yubel agreed to my request, though I knew my words had hurt them from the tears in their eyes. 

I hadn't meant to upset my dad. But I didn't know what else to do. 

For my safety, it was arranged that I be adopted by Go. I took on the name "Echo," and that was that. The only ones who know this story are me, the Three Heroes, and Prime Minister Bohman.

"It's unlikely that will happen. Ai covered for your appearance by telling people who noticed that 'As many as four people can share the same face.'"

"And they believed it?" That explanation doesn't seem like it would hold up.

"Of course they did, it's Ai. The effect of his words is uncanny." 

"And Prince Windy?"

"There is the possibility that he might remember. But you've already been working here for a year, yet the Prince doesn't seem to suspect anything."

"About that, why doesn't he remem-" I cut off my words when I hear the door to the Hall of Mirrors opens. 

"Echo, hurry up! We've got one last dish to bring to the Hall!" Miyu says as she drags me down the hallway.

"W-what? Weren't they all served already?"

"Nope! Hope they saved room for dessert!" 

-

"Prince Windy would like to present this gift to all the wonderful guests in attendance tonight. Happy Nativity Festival, everyone!" Prime Minister Bohman announces to the crowd.

That's the cue for us servants to bring it into the Hall of Mirrors.

The castle was like a fairy-tale come to life, taller than me, and made entirely of sweets. The base was made of cake, and patterns of meringue frosting decorated the walls. The roof was made of chocolate, expertly tempered so that it shone as much as the polished mirrors lining the room. Candy decorations littered the entire thing. I half expected it's doors to open and for a witch to invite me inside. 

Apparently I hadn't been aware of this huge mountain of sugar was on the menu because Prince Windy had only thought it up this morning, and had ordered the patissiers to have it done in time for the ball.

The candy castle is wheeled in, and the crowd marvels at it with a chorus of "Ooooo"s and "Aaaaa"s. Politically it was quite a flex, but that probably wasn't Windy's intention in having it made. It was more likely that he just wanted to be able to say he ate part of a castle.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Go angrily storming out of the hall. I rush after him.

"Fath- Sir Go, what about guard duty?" I call out as he starts to descend the steps leading to the garden.

"I'll patrol outside!"

Through the open door, I can see Windy using a huge fork to cut the sweets castle back inside the Hall of Mirrors. 

"He uses his power on such frivolity...he truly is the 'Son of Evil." And cursing under his breath Go leaves.

Following after him when he's so mad won't do much good. 

"That man and his anger," Emma tsks. I hadn't noticed her sneak up on me again. "He knows he can't walk around making comments like that."

"But his heart's in the right place."

"I agree. Let's get back to the party for now, though."

"Okay." 

As we reenter the Hall of Mirrors, I still can't figure out what Windy meant earlier. The sun? Alone? What could it all mean?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am fond of the headcanon that echo is what's left of the wind kid's consciousness, and also still very uncreative


	3. Section 1 - Jin -

_Jin ~Lucifenia, Onizuka Residence~_

Some stale pieces of bread on a plate. A cup full of water. Both of these placed within arm's reach, on the table in front of the sofa. 

Now, to grab the book from the shelf. Its cover is a little worn, but all of the pages are in fine condition. I return to my comfy spot on the sofa, and start to read. 

**_T **he** tale of the vampire Lightning Conchita is much contested by Evillious historians. Birth records indicate that indeed there was a Duke of Beelzenia by the name of Lightning Conchita, but the details of his life are shrouded in mystery. _**  
  
**_It is generally agreed upon that he spent most of his youth in his family mansion in what is now the Retasan Province of the Beelzenian Empire. As an adult he traveled the Evillious region before returning to his boyhood home and bringing with him culinary knowledge that helped propel Beelzenia into the gourmet capital we currently know it as._**

**_Most famously, it is said as a result of these travels that the wine 'blood-grave' exists. Popular accounts say that Conchita developed it to perfectly mimic human blood while others claim that the wine was made from drained blood. Whether the blood came from livestock or human corpses is a hotly contested debate amongst scholars and storytellers alike. Sadly, there are no existing bottles of 'blood-grave' from Conchita's time period to verify its contents. Modern 'blood-grave' is a red wine made from fermented trauben fruit juice._**

The next few pages cover a full course of Beelzenian dishes. The book firmly insists that all of these foods became staples of the common folks' tables. Meals treasured by Beelzenians rich and poor. But to me, they all reek of the nobility's snobbery. 

"Must be nice," I complain to no one as I sip some of the water. 

**_L_ _ **ightning** Conchita's life after his travels is where the details start to get blurry. Perhaps this is why most of the commonly told "Vampire Conchita" stories tell of a man who succumbed to vampirism and cannibalism as an adult, though there are versions of the story where he stalked the night even as a child._**

I quickly thumb over the next few pages where the author just rambles about the differences in mythology between turned vampires and born vampires. It's thought provoking stuff, but it's not what I'm trying to read today.

**_The only other surviving records about Lightning Conchita are of a planned engagement to a member of Marlon royalty while both parties were only fifteen, and the formal cancellation of the engagement. Such arrangements are heavily speculated to have been a ploy by the island nation to gain more influence in the continent. The paper trail of Conchita's would-be spouse is also a dead end, despite Marlon's reputation of keeping the most extensive records of their royal families and lineages._**

I flip to the next page and nibble on a crust of bread.

**_There are rumors of possible descendants of the Conchita family, but that is disputed-_**

"How've you been all day, kid? What have you been up to?"

I look up from where I've been curled on the sofa reading. 

"Father, you're back early."

"It's actually getting kind of late, don't you think?"

I glance over to the clock on the mantel of the fireplace. It seems I've been reading for a lot longer than I thought.

"Either way son, did you remember to eat?"

"Yeah, I've been snacking." I motion to the dish that's on the table in front of me. 

Go frowns at the nibbled crusts and half-drunk water. "Jin..."

"Don't worry, I'll finish it. I just a bit caught up doing some reading." I try to reassure him.

"Which book?"

I hold it up so he can read the title.

"Ahhh that old thing, 'Stories of the Vampire, Lightning Conchita.' Wasn't that the one you and Echo used to beg me to read to you as a bedtime story every night when you two were little?"

"Yup."

"I honestly never understood why you two loved it so much. Especially since some of those tales scared you half to death."

"That was just the one where Lightning has the undead skeleton army. And I can read that one fine now. But the vampire stories aren't what I was interested in today."

"Hm? If you've conquered your fear of that tale then what's left to revisit? You're a little young to be in it for the nostalgia."

"Nostalgia's for any and every age, Father." I roll my eyes a little. "And there's part of the book that I never really appreciated back then, so I'm reading it now."

"Which part is that?"

"In the back, where the author talks about the real history of Lightning Conchita."

"Ahh, that part. I never read it to you kids because I figured that it would be boring to hear about."

"Reasonable. But lately this whole story just feels so real, I've been kind of obsessed with it." 

Maybe it's because of the food crisis. But even past that and the nostalgia, why has this story seemed like it's something I should know? Like it's something that directly impacts me?

I get up to place the book back on the shelf. 

"Echo says hi, by the way." Go mentions. 

"He still can't have a day off to come home?"

"I'm afraid so."

I sigh and take a drink of water. Ever since my adopted brother started working at the palace, I haven't been able to see him at all. I hope he's been doing okay. I don't understand the reasoning why Echo went to work as a palace servant. But I trust that one day either he or my adoptive father will explain it to me. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes i was serious about that lightning conchita thing. yes i did let this AU get out of hand. no i do not care. hubris? what hubris

**Author's Note:**

> translations sourced are [closure-of-yellow](https://closure-of-yellow.tumblr.com) AND  
> [weigenlied-of-green](https://wiegenlied-of-green.tumblr.com)


End file.
